When I apply for a PR card must I stay in Canada?

[SPro]

When I apply for a PR card must I stay in Canada while I wait for approval or can I leave the country for a holiday?

[SettlementOrgMod]

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your situation and question with us.

You can find some helpful information in our Settlement.Org I need to leave Canada but do not have my PR card yet. What should I do? article.

Here is an excerpt,

Ideally, you should wait until you have your Permanent Resident (PR) card. If you must leave Canada, you should apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document from a Canadian visa office abroad as soon as you reach your destination.

The only official documents that permanent residents of Canada can use to travel back to Canada on a commercial carrier (by air, land or sea) are the PR card or a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD), also know as a Travel Document (Permanent Resident Abroad) issued by a Canadian visa office abroad.

If you are entering Canada in a private vehicle, such as your own car, and you do not present your PR card, you may be able to show other immigration documents.

If you are wondering about your residency requirements, as you may know, to meet these residency obligations, you must be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days (2 years) in every 5-year period.

This means that you can spend a total of up to 3 years outside of Canada during a 5-year period. However, if you leave the country for an extended period of time, it is up to you to prove to Citizenship and Immigration Canada that you will be able to meet your residency requirements.

I hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if you have further questions and if there is any follow up to your question/situation.

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Anna
Settlement.Org Content and Information/Referral Specialist, CIRS
Settlement.Org